Giants OF Angel Pagan (back) to return to lineup Wednesday

Pagan has been out since March 14 due to a back injury but felt good after playing in a minor-league game Tuesday. He received an injection in his lower back Thursday to help with the pain. Pagan is 2 for 16 with four walks this spring.

Giants outfielder Angel Pagan to play in minor league game Tuesday

Pagan has missed the last few days with a back injury, which resulted in an injection to alleviate pain. He needed the same injection before the All-Star break last season and stayed out until early August.

Giants' Angel Pagan says mattress caused latest back issue

by Shawn Krest | CBSSports.com

(3/22/15) Giants outfielder Angel Pagan missed time last week with back soreness. A day after returning to the field for baseball-related work, Pagan told the media that the latest back issue isn't related to his surgery last September.

Pagan said he slept on an extra-soft mattress, which caused him to have back spasms, per the San Francisco Chronicle's Henry Schulman.

"It can happen to anybody," Pagan said. "Just because you had back surgery doesn't mean you're going to have another one. No.

Pagan had an anti-inflammatory injection to help alleviate the pain.

"The reason I got the shot is I wanted to speed up the recovery," Pagan said, per MLB.com's William Boor. "I didn't want to just wait until it was done. It could have been a week and a half, and I don't have time for that. I just want it to be gone as soon as possible."

Angel Pagan returns to on-field baseball activities for Giants

by Shawn Krest | CBSSports.com

(3/21/15)Angel Pagan worked out with the Giants during pregame drills on Saturday, returning to on-field baseball activities a day earlier than expected, per the Bay Area News Group's Andrew Baggarly.

2014 Summary:Angel Pagan appeared in just 96 games for the Giants in 2014 and was limited to 33 games from June 15 forward, but he performed well when healthy enough to play. By batting .300, Pagan posted his highest batting average since he hit .306 in 88 games with the Mets in 2009. He also had a minor rebound as a stolen base source, delivering 16 steals after getting just nine in 2013.

Playing time status: Pagan had back surgery in September but should be ready for the start of spring training. Back issues kept Pagan out for much of 2014. He is frequently injured and has played fewer than 100 games in each of the last two seasons. He should be the Giants' regular center fielder when healthy, but that might not be all that often.

2015 Outlook: As recently as 2012, Pagan was a top 30 outfielder, and with better health and more playing time, he could be one again. It's still a long shot, and with all of the time he has missed over the last two years, Pagan could be off many owners' radars. You probably don't need to draft Pagan earlier than the later rounds in standard mixed leagues, but he could provide a large return on that minimal investment.
(Updated 11/23/14)